"Vera makes the novel new in Africa."--Mandivavarira Taruvinga,Independent Extra(Zimbabwe) "From the oral poetic tradition comes a new young writer, and we hail this arrival as we do the raincloud in the heat of day . . .Butterfly Burningis as passionate, volatile, loving, terrible, clear and confusing as any novel could be."--Nikki Giovanni "A remarkable novel . . . Keen, vivid. The author's political sense, her critique of colonialism, is intrinsic, never intrusive . . . Vera writes gracefully, depicting with extraordinary elegance the chaos and disorder of township life, the surreal conditions of existence imposed by colonial authority upon the residents."--Michelle Cliff,Village Voice Literary Supplement "Written in lyrical, metaphor-laden, heavily symbolic prose, this mesmerizing first U. S. appearance of Vera's work is sure to garner attention."--Publishers Weekly "A rare work of beauty, capturing the oft-tragic poetry of life in a black township in Rhodesia in the 1940s . . . Vera's phrasing and style [give this] story of love, longing, and betrayal a lyric quality . . . Readers of Isabel Allende, A. S. Byatt, or Toni Morrison will all enjoy this introduction to fine African literature. Highly recommended."--Ellen Flexman,Library Journal "This author is an unflinching guide, and if you trust her to take you off-road, she'll show you an exquisite piece of unmapped landscape."--Anderson Tepper,Time Out(New York)